Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Which is the greenest tree of all?
Some would call it a great debate in the eco-friendly Christmas season. What kind of tree is better for the environment, real or fake? Here are some tips to help you decide, and a few other options that you may not have thought of.
The Fake Tree - Pros & Cons
As an environmentalist, you may feel queasy about going out and chopping down a tree every year for the sake of ambiance. A lot of people go for the plastic tree option because of its re-usability. This is the main benefit of the plastic tree. Not only can you use it year after year, but it only needs to be manufactured and shipped once, rather than every single year.
Bearing that in mind, the manufacture and shipping of millions of plastic trees has a huge impact on the environment. While it’s true that you only have to buy one, it still has to go through the polluting processes of all other plastic items. And while you only have to buy one, that one will eventually wear out. When that happens, your plastic tree is likely to go straight to the landfil, as they’re not recyclable. Depending on where it’s made, the plastic tree may also contain traces of lead.
The Real Tree - Pros & Cons
Real Christmas trees are raised on farms now, which means that harvesting them doesn’t result in deforestation. These farms also provide cover and habitats for small animals for the 8 - 12 years that it takes the trees to grow. The other good news is that unlike their plastic counterparts, real trees are completely bio degradable and can be turned into useful compost or mulch for your garden.
Real trees are not without their problems for the environment. Tree farms often use pesticides. It also takes a lot of fuel to run the farms. The trees need to be shipped all over the country, and they cannot be reused year after year. Discarded christmas trees may also be left with shreds of tinsel, or forgotten decorations, which can end up in landfils, or even in our gardens.
What’s the solution?
My preferred method is the live tree. Every year, Justin and I buy a potted christmas tree, which we then plant in the yard somewhere after the Christmas festivities have ended. The only drawback here is that the potted trees cannot be very big. If the tree is too big, its root ball won’t be young enough to take hold when its planted outdoors. However, this is a small price to pay! Look at it this way: Every year, you’re giving the earth a present by planting her a tree. Groovy Green has some great tips on choosing, and caring for live Christmas trees.
If you prefer the bigger, cut tree, there are things you can do to make your purchase as green as possible. Make sure that you dispose of your tree properly. Landfils aren’t the best place for your christmas tree. You may be able to find someone who can chip it up, and turn it into mulch for your garden.
Posted in Events and Festivals, Green Living, Treehugging, holidays | 3 Comments »
Saturday, October 25th, 2008
Stephen Lewis to Address Environmental Forum at Blue Mountain
One of the world’s most influential speakers, Stephen Lewis, will be the keynote speaker at the opening of “Go Green at Blue” an environmental conference taking place at the Village at Blue near Collingwood November 14 to 16th.
Mr. Lewis is a Professor in Global Health in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University, where he teaches a class on the consequences of climate change in both developed and developing countries. Previously, he chaired the first International Conference on Climate Change, which drew up the first comprehensive policy on global warming.
Lewis, author of the bestseller “Race Against Time” is the recipient of the prestigious Pearson Peace Medal, he holds 28 honorary degrees, and is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest honor.
The weekend conference will address global issues, our water system, green homes, environmentally friendly agricultural practices the famous “one hundred mile diet” and preservation of green space.
Co-ordinator of the conference, Roberta Brignell says, the weekend is jam packed with valuable and interesting workshops. We are especially pleased that one of our workshops will be held specifically for our youth. One of the guest speakers will be Jason Lawrence, “O” ambassador from the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network.”
Other workshops feature Patrick Donnelly Lake Huron Centre for Coast Conservation, Mayor Ellen Anderson, Town of Blue Mountain-Great Lakes Cities, Michelle Cote -Enerquality Corporation Energy Star program, Jamie Shipley-CMHC Equilibrium Program, Robert Stellar - Creating Healthier Homes, Ray Robertson -Environmental Farm plan for Grey County, Freeman Boyd- Local Food Project for Grey and Bruce Counties, Peter Katona-Food Links Ontario, Jenny Amy-Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association, Amber Cowie- Ontario Nature Greenways initiative, Mark Carabetta- Ontario Nature, Jason Richie-Grey Bruce Forest Stewardship Network and Chris Winter-Conservation Council of Canada “We Conserve”.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the first Life Time Environmental Award by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation. This award will recognize the achievements of a local individual that promotes and maintains positive stewardship of our natural resources.
Everyone is welcome. Tickets can be purchased for the entire weekend or individual days. A weekend package is $195.00 ($40.00 tax receipt), Friday evening dinner with Stephen Lewis $125, student rate $85.00 (Table of 8-one ticket free), Saturday’s workshops $75.00, students $70.00 and a ticket for Sunday only is $35.00, students $30.00. To purchase Tickets and to see the entire schedule click here or order tickets by phone 1-888-446-7699.
Go Green At Blue, an Environmental Forum is an initiative of the Community Foundation Grey Bruce and presented by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation. Part of the proceed of this forum will support the Community Foundation Environmental Fund.
One of the roles of the Community Foundation Grey Bruce is Community Outreach and Dialogue, dealing with community concerns and acting as a facilitator in bringing organizations and individuals together to deal with issues, think of strategies, educate and celebrate successes
For further information contact Roberta or Wendy at the Community Foundation Grey Bruce @ 519-371-7203 or e-mail cfgreybruce@brucetelecom.com
Sponsored by On the Bay Magazine and Reid’s Heritage Homes
Posted in Events and Festivals, Green Living, Press Releases | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
A.K.A. Cleaning out my closet for Poverty Day
My closet is so full, there are wild animals living in there!
Today is Blog Action Day, the aim of which is to bring awareness to poverty issues.
The action I’ve chosen to take is a simple one. I’m cleaning out my closet, and giving the excess clothes to the Salvation Army. Any clothing that is worn out will be torn up and used as cleaning rags. But most of the excess clothes in my closet are in perfectly good shape.
Fall is the perfect time of year to sift through all of those extra summer clothes! Find your closest Salvation Army, or clothing donation box and give them away to someone who needs them.
Posted in Events and Festivals, Green Living | 3 Comments »
Some would call it a great debate in the eco-friendly Christmas season. What kind of tree is better for the environment, real or fake? Here are some tips to help you decide, and a few other options that you may not have thought of.